1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to Q-switched laser resonators, and particularly to a Q-switched laser resonator and a method of fabricating same wherein a laser rod, a dye impregnated sheet, or Q-switch, and an output coupler are aligned and subsequently bonded together into a laser resonator assembly having an integral construction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The known Q-switched laser resonators are constructed, typically, of a laser rod, Q-switch device, and an output coupler and high reflectivity mirror which are each rigidly mounted to an optical bench, the optical bench maintaining the components in relative alignment one to another. Typically, one or more of the components are mounted such that they can be repositioned as required in order to align the resonator after fabrication in order to obtain the proper alignment required for lasing.
As may be appreciated, a Q-switched laser resonator constructed in such a manner has several inherent disadvantages. One disadvantage is that such a resonator is sensitive to vibration due to each constituent component being individually mounted to the rigid optical bench. Another disadvantage, arising from such vibration sensitivity, is that there is a need for frequent realignment, resulting in increased laser maintenance and operation costs. A further disadvantage is that the optical bench increases the size, weight and complexity of the laser resonator, making a laser resonator of such construction less well suited for applications requiring a Q-switch laser resonator having a compact, low cost, and vibration insensitive design.